The Mechanisms of Repetitive Spike Generation in an Axonless Retinal Interneuron
Several types of retinal interneurons exhibit spikes but lack axons. One such neuron is the AII amacrine cell, in which spikes recorded at the soma exhibit small amplitudes (<10 mV) and broad time courses (>5 ms). Here, we used electrophysiological recordings and computational analysis to exam...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2012-02-01
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| Series: | Cell Reports |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124711000167 |
| _version_ | 1818128573438885888 |
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| author | Mark S. Cembrowski Stephen M. Logan Miao Tian Li Jia Wei Li William L. Kath Hermann Riecke Joshua H. Singer |
| author_facet | Mark S. Cembrowski Stephen M. Logan Miao Tian Li Jia Wei Li William L. Kath Hermann Riecke Joshua H. Singer |
| author_sort | Mark S. Cembrowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Several types of retinal interneurons exhibit spikes but lack axons. One such neuron is the AII amacrine cell, in which spikes recorded at the soma exhibit small amplitudes (<10 mV) and broad time courses (>5 ms). Here, we used electrophysiological recordings and computational analysis to examine the mechanisms underlying this atypical spiking. We found that somatic spikes likely represent large, brief action potential-like events initiated in a single, electrotonically distal dendritic compartment. In this same compartment, spiking undergoes slow modulation, likely by an M-type K conductance. The structural correlate of this compartment is a thin neurite that extends from the primary dendritic tree: local application of TTX to this neurite, or excision of it, eliminates spiking. Thus, the physiology of the axonless AII is much more complex than would be anticipated from morphological descriptions and somatic recordings; in particular, the AII possesses a single dendritic structure that controls its firing pattern. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T07:35:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0ae2677b428c4e93b2d90966177517d2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2211-1247 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T07:35:24Z |
| publishDate | 2012-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cell Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ae2677b428c4e93b2d90966177517d22022-12-22T01:15:42ZengElsevierCell Reports2211-12472012-02-011215516610.1016/j.celrep.2011.12.006The Mechanisms of Repetitive Spike Generation in an Axonless Retinal InterneuronMark S. Cembrowski0Stephen M. Logan1Miao Tian2Li Jia3Wei Li4William L. Kath5Hermann Riecke6Joshua H. Singer7Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USADepartment of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USADepartment of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USADepartment of Unit of Retinal Neurophysiology, NEI/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USADepartment of Unit of Retinal Neurophysiology, NEI/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USADepartment of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USADepartment of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USADepartment of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USASeveral types of retinal interneurons exhibit spikes but lack axons. One such neuron is the AII amacrine cell, in which spikes recorded at the soma exhibit small amplitudes (<10 mV) and broad time courses (>5 ms). Here, we used electrophysiological recordings and computational analysis to examine the mechanisms underlying this atypical spiking. We found that somatic spikes likely represent large, brief action potential-like events initiated in a single, electrotonically distal dendritic compartment. In this same compartment, spiking undergoes slow modulation, likely by an M-type K conductance. The structural correlate of this compartment is a thin neurite that extends from the primary dendritic tree: local application of TTX to this neurite, or excision of it, eliminates spiking. Thus, the physiology of the axonless AII is much more complex than would be anticipated from morphological descriptions and somatic recordings; in particular, the AII possesses a single dendritic structure that controls its firing pattern.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124711000167 |
| spellingShingle | Mark S. Cembrowski Stephen M. Logan Miao Tian Li Jia Wei Li William L. Kath Hermann Riecke Joshua H. Singer The Mechanisms of Repetitive Spike Generation in an Axonless Retinal Interneuron Cell Reports |
| title | The Mechanisms of Repetitive Spike Generation in an Axonless Retinal Interneuron |
| title_full | The Mechanisms of Repetitive Spike Generation in an Axonless Retinal Interneuron |
| title_fullStr | The Mechanisms of Repetitive Spike Generation in an Axonless Retinal Interneuron |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Mechanisms of Repetitive Spike Generation in an Axonless Retinal Interneuron |
| title_short | The Mechanisms of Repetitive Spike Generation in an Axonless Retinal Interneuron |
| title_sort | mechanisms of repetitive spike generation in an axonless retinal interneuron |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124711000167 |
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